Holly Alanos: The Dark Artist
by xXHawkeye1337Xx
Summary: (Alternate take on Child of the Lost.) Holly Alanos wanted to get away from her past, become a huntress, and just have some peace and quiet. But once her and her adoptive brother Dante arrive at Beacon, her past soon arrives with her. Can Holly protect herself and her new friends from disaster? And will Holly claim revenge for her older sister's violent murder eight years ago...
1. School Jerk

**Hey, guys! This is "Holly Alanos: Dark Artist. "An alternate version of my story "Child of the Lost". It features my OC Holly, and pretty much all the canon characters in RWBY, but with MANY differences, at least in terms of plot. The name of Holly's weapon will also be changed. **

**This is just the teaser, but…Without further ado….**

**(RWBY is owned by Monty Oum and RoosterTeeth. In **_**NO **_**way do I have rights to the story, characters, or production of the show.)**

Holly Alanos, age 16,lay on her back atop the roof of Beacon Academy's dorms. Her black coat kept her relatively warm, though the same could not be said for her usual white shorts, and combat boots, which exposed much of her legs to the cold. No matter. Eyes closed, hands behind her head, she sighed deeply, enjoying the fresh chill of the night air. She'd arrived from Atlas only three days before, with her brother, Dante.

Only, Dante wasn't her _brother_. She'd known him for three years, and in that short time, he'd earned the title. He had cared for her, watched her back, and understood her.

Ever since _that_ day.

That cold, miserable day in winter.

_Forget it, girl. _Holly thought, pushing the memory from her mind. She stretched her legs, yawning. She hadn't slept since her first night in Vytal. Not that sleep mattered to her. She rarely slept well. Even if she did manage to doze, Holly never stayed asleep for long.

Checking her watch, she noted with surprise that it was 2AM. She stood, smoothed out her coat, and stared up at the moon. She'd kept her hood on earlier, but pulled it down. The dark gray wolf-like ears atop her head twitched slightly. She continued to stare at the moon, an odd feeling of calm washing over her. Holly had never known why, but the moon had always attracted her, made her feel safe. She often wondered if her Faunus blood had anything to do with it.

"Might as well head inside." She murmured, and turned. Dante would either have already gone to sleep, or waited up for her.

As she suspected, Dante had fallen asleep on his bed, hands behind his head, and still dressed in his jeans, black canvas shoes, and white T-shirt. His wrist gauntlet lay on the nightstand separating his bed and Holly's. She hugged his sleeping form, and whispered a 'Good Night.'

After changing out of her usual day attire, Holly slipped into a pair of sweats and a tank-top. She graciously slipped into bed and under the covers. Holly lay there for a few moments, eyes shut. She sighed into her pillow, and shifted onto her side.

It looked like yet another sleepless night.

Holly had been right. She hadn't gotten any sleep whatsoever, but she didn't feel tired at all. She slid out of bed, and stretched. She stretched her arms one after the other across her chest, and arched her back.

"You're up early." A gruff voice said behind her. Holly turned, and smirked as Dante yawned, hunched over and sitting on the side of his bed. His slim but well-muscled frame was concealed by his shirt, and his longish black hair hung over his eyes. He rolled his shoulders, and asked,

"You up for a little breakfast? It's sorta early, but I'm hungry." Dante said, yawning over the last few words. Holly nodded, and motioned to the door. Dante raised an eyebrow, causing Holly to huff, and look away.

"I kinda need to get dressed, and you're already fully clothed…..so…..shoo." Holly waved her hand in a shooing motion, and Dante grinned and shook his head. He stood and walked outside to wait in the hall.

"Don't take forever, Holly." He said. The door closed with a soft _click _behind him.

Holly peeled off the sweats and tank she'd worn during the night, exchanging them for her regular black shorts and white shirt. Holly left her coat neatly laid out at the foot of her bed before lacing up her boots and walking into the hall. Dante had his back pressed against the wall beside the doorframe, arms crossed. He nodded to his left, and started walking. Holly followed closely behind him. Suddenly, Dante turned, walking backward.

"Did you manage to get some honest sleep last night?" He asked, jamming his hands in his pockets. He smiled warmly, and raised an eyebrow. Holly hesitated for a moment, but nodded. Dante turned back around, giving her a sideways look.

"Listen…..if it's the dreams again-"He began. Holly held up a hand, swiftly cutting him off.

"Yes, I know you're there for me, and if I need to talk, I can open up to you. I'm glad you care, Dante, but I'm fine. Honest." Holly smiled and strode past him, avoiding the look of worry on his face.

"If you say so." Dante said, but he spoke as if he didn't believe her. He walked past her quickly, and continued leading her down the hall. After going down the stairs at the far end, Holly and Dante entered another long hallway. Holly glanced upward, and then to the left, her eyes slightly widening as she took in the high, arching ceiling, the arched glass windows on the left side of the hall, and the crimson carpet with golden embroidery at the edges.

They continued until they reached a pair of double doors. Dante pushed them open, and Holly wondered why she hadn't been able to smell it earlier. The aroma of….well, _breakfast _hit Holly like a wave. She absently licked her lips, inciting a chuckle from Dante. He shook his head, and pulled on her wrist.

"C'mon, grab a seat and I'll grab our food. Just wait here." Dante sat Holly down at an empty table, and strode away to wait on the line at the kitchen. Holly sniffed the air, her heavily enhanced sense of smell sending the scent of every food article into her nose. She listed them with her eyes closed as each smell registered.

Bacon, Eggs, Toast, Waffles….

Her eyes widened as another smell filtered in. Holly took a deep breath through her nose, and sighed in content. Pancakes and syrup. Her mouth watered. She watched the line, and picked out Dante's form grabbing a large tray. Holly licked her lips. She watched hungrily as Dante loaded the tray with two large plates, and whimpered as he loaded what she assumed was her plate with 4 stacked pancakes, sausage, eggs, and bacon. He filled his own plate with three waffles, eggs, and a biscuit with butter on the side. He also drowned Holly's pancakes with syrup. By the time he'd returned to the table, her eyes were glazed over.

_Best breakfast of my life._ Holly thought, grabbing a fork off of the tray. She happily tore into her food, while Dante ate slowly and looked on. He shook his head and sighed. They continued to eat, Holly ignoring the stares of passersby.

"The fact that you're female amazes me, Holly." Dante said when she quickly finished. She licked syrup from her fingers, and giggled. Dante still had some eggs and a waffle left, while Holly had demolished her entire plate. He snorted when he realized she'd licked the plate clean.

"Really?" Was all Dante said. Holly smiled.

"I'm a hungry girl, s'all there is to it." Holly said, shrugging. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped short. Her ears perked, and she turned around. Dante leaned to one side to see around her. At a table across the room, some boys were sitting around a Faunus girl. She kept looking from one to the other, almost nervously. Holly stood. Dante shot out of his seat and grabbed her hand. "Don't." He said, his tone warning. Holly yanked her hand out of his grip, and listened. Dante grunted. He knew Holly could probably hear it more clearly than he could, but the guys across the room weren't being very discreet anyway.

"-Told you the headmaster's gone crazy. He's letting all these Freaks in." The tallest of the group said, smirking. A boy sat down on the other side of the Faunus girl, glancing over her shoulder at Cardin.

"Hey, Cardin. You know how they say rabbits breed like crazy?" The girl's cheeks reddened, and she looked down at her empty tray. Holly had had enough. She crossed the room in just a few strides, and stopped right before them.

"Hey! Who do you morons think you are, bothering her like that? Huh?" The boy and his friend turned slowly to Holly, looking her up and down. The taller one stopped a moment when he saw the pair of wolf-like ears on her head. He whistled, and looked away.

"Whaddaya know, Russell? Another freak come to play the knight in freakish armor." He stood, and the other boy, Russell, followed suit.

"What're you thinking, Cardin? Maybe we teach her a quick lesson?" Russell cracked his knuckles, and Cardin smiled wickedly. He nodded and turned to Holly, standing. She had to look up, since he had three inches over her, and scowl at him. Cardin shoved her shoulder.

"Step off, Freak-"was as far as he got, before Holly turned her back on him, and pulled his arm over her shoulder with deadly force. Cardin yelped as she flipped him over her body, and onto the floor. Russell lunged for her waist, but she swung her fist up into his middle, doubling him over. Holly pushed him onto the floor beside Cardin, and leaned over their bodies with her hands behind her back.

"I catch you bullying anybody again, you're gonna get a lot worse than that." She spat. Holly turned and started back toward her and Dante's table. He sat, squeezing the bridge of his nose. He sighed.

"Please never do that again." Dante said, not looking at Holly. She shrugged, and pushed some loose blond hair behind her ear.

"The jerk deserved it."

**Alright! That's a wrap on chapter Numero Uno~ Hope you guys liked it!**

**You'll notice that there are quite a few differences. As I said, this is an alternate take on "Child of the Lost", and also on Holly's character herself. My writing style is also changed to third person for this one…and it works better XD. I'll probably start using it more often. **

**Oh…..and just in case the part with the food pissed some of you guys off cuz it made you hungry…Just know it had the same effect on the writer. :3**

**Alright guys, Rate, Review, and Favorite if you please~ **

**Hawkeye, OUT! **

**(Also, Dante in this story is **_**NOT**_** based off of the videogame character from the Devil May Cry games. A good friend already asked me if it was so.)**


	2. First Impression

**I'm going to introduce some of the canon characters for RWBY in this chapter. **

**Mainly Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long. Perhaps some appearances from Blake and Weiss? Who knows?**

**Disclaimer:(I Do NOT own the name, studio, programming, characters, or plot for the animated series RWBY. Said items are owned respectively by Monty Oum, Director, and producer RoosterTeeth.)**

**Hope you guys enjoy it! ^o^**

* * *

Lunch had flown by relatively quickly, and Holly only wanted to leave. Cardin and his team were leaving the lunch room, sure to steer clear of Holly.

Dante sighed, and leaned back in his seat. His hands lay clasped on his lap.

"So." He began. Holly groaned, if only in her head.

_Here we go again. _She thought.

"Are you ever going to tell me? What happened, I mean." Dante kept his gaze locked on Holly. She looked away. She took a deep breath, and exhaled, holding a hand up to keep Dante from interrupting.

"For the last time, I just don't feel like I need to. I'm over it, okay? What's done is done." She tried putting an edge of nonchalance in her voice, but she knew he wasn't buying it. As usual, Dante shrugged, signaling that he'd dropped the subject, for the time being.

As Holly's thoughts began to drift, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned her head, and looked the girl behind her up and down. She was blonde, tall, and had a strong but slender-looking frame. Behind her trailed a shorter, dark haired girl.

"Hey! I'm Yang. Are you one of the new students here?" She smiled, and held out her hand. Holly took it and shook.

"Yeah, me and Mr. Serious over there." Holly jerked her thumb behind her at Dante, who snorted. He nodded at Yang.

"Dante Infurneau, and -"He said, motioning with a hand to Holly.

"Holly Alanos." She cut in. She shook hands with Yang before looking to the other girl. "And you are?"

"Ruby. Yang's sister." Ruby smiled, albeit a bit shyly, and shook hands with Holly. Dante suddenly stood.

"What do you two have next? In terms of classes, I mean." He smoothed out his grayish jeans, and adjusted the gauntlet around his wrist.

"I think it was Combat Skills." Ruby replied. Dante smiled, and pointed at the door. He cocked his head toward Holly.

"Mind bringing her with? Headmaster Ozpin needed to speak with me briefly, and I'd rather not keep the man waiting." Ruby and Yang nodded. Holly waved at Dante as she stood. Dante stretched an arm across his chest, then gave the girls a brief salute before leaving the cafeteria.

"See you later, Dante." She said. Holly turned to Yang and Ruby, who were already headed for the door. She followed. Yang spoke first.

"So! Where exactly did you and Dante transfer from?" Yang spun on her heel, walking backward with her hands behind her back. Holly jammed her hands in her pocket as they entered the hallway.

"We came here by boat from Atlas. We went to combat school there on scholarship, and got an offer from Beacon a few months ago. Not much else to say." Ruby and Yang each gave a quick nod of understanding. Yang turned back around

Ruby then asked, "So, what? He's your boyfriend?"

Holly shook her head, and smiled wryly. She hoped neither Yang nor Ruby noticed the blush across her cheeks. "Nah, Dante's been like an older brother, for maybe around…7 or 8 years now?" Holly mused, touching her index finger to her lower lip.

Ruby gave a small, but genuine smile. She suddenly groaned, stopping, and tugged on her sister's arm.

"Yang, we passed the classroom already." Ruby pulled her sister back, Holly following close behind. She strode inside the room behind Ruby, and glanced around. The room itself was sizeable enough. Though there weren't any seats, there was a large stage-like platform against the far wall of the room. A large monitor hung on the wall, and several spotlights were positioned over the stage. Holly joined Ruby and Yang amongst the growing cluster of students in front of the stage.

A tall, spectacled woman stood on the stage, her eyes seemingly cold and calculating. She held one arm behind her back, while the other gripped a Scroll to her side. She lifted the Scroll, and began calling names.

"Ruby Rose?"She called.

Ruby raised her hand, rising on the tips of her toes before settling back down. Several more names were called, including Holly's.

"Here." She called, raising her hand. Holly gently nudged Ruby in the side. "Who is she?"

"That's Ms. Glynda GoodWitch. She's sort of like the headmaster's second in command, I guess." Holly nodded slowly, glancing over Yang's shoulder. A large cage the size of a bank vault had been moved onto the stage, and Holly's ears twitched as they picked up the sound of snarling. The cage was dark, so she couldn't see what exactly was inside. Ms. GoodWitch raised her wand, and leveled it into the crowd.

"Class, today we have a new arrival from Atlas. Miss Holly Alanos, would you please approach the stage?" Holly slipped through the crowd, and walked up a set of side stairs onto the stage. Glynda nodded, and turned to the group of students.

"Class, today we will see what skills Miss Alanos brings with her from Atlas, through a small test: Miss Alanos will dispatch a Beowulf in as short a period of time as possible. You have five minutes, Miss Alanos." Glynda gave a quick nod, and strode off of the stage.

Holly blinked. A Beowulf? As a _demonstration?_

She turned her head as the door to the large cage swung open with a _Clang._ The Beowulf lumbered out, scars marring small patches of exposed skin where fur had once been. She slipped on a pair of black gloves from out of her pocket, smiling.

_Oh, boy. This place just keeps getting better._

* * *

Dante stared out across Beacon's grounds from behind the window. He'd walked up to Professor Ozpin's office after leaving the cafeteria, and he could feel the tension knotting in his stomach.

"So, what did you wish to speak with me about, Mr. Infurneau?" Ozpin strode beside him, cane in his left hand, and a steaming mug of coffee in his right. He brought the mug to his lips, and took a long sip.

Dante slid his hands into his pockets. "I want to know. Who told you about…..my partner, Holly? I know someone told you about her, or more specifically, the nature of her weapon." Dante turned his body to Ozpin, his back rigid. He narrowed his eyes.

Ozpin drew a deep breath through his nose. "I received a message from a Huntress in Atlas; your mother, Elaine, to be exact. She's the main reason you and Holly are here, actually. She told me that she had two young people who were eager to learn. I owed your mother a personal favor, and she called it in. Hence, you two were enrolled here. And…..I'm curious."

Dante rose an eyebrow. Turning his eyes from Ozpin, he asked tightly,

"What would you be curious about?" He shot Ozpin a sideways glance, and frowned.

Ozpin was silent. He took another sip, sighing contentedly, and said,

"….Nothing of importance. Now, please, go to class. I'll inform your instructor that you were speaking with me, so as to not mark you as absent or tardy."

"…" Dante pressed his lips into a thin line. Exhaling through his nose, he turned and walked to the door. He hesitated, but pushed it open and left.

Ozpin removed the Scroll from his pocket, and tapped the screen. An overhead view of the stage snapped to life. Ozpin stared at the screen, his eyes locked on a blonde Faunus girl with wolf-like ears. She stood nonchalantly in front of a hulking beast of a Beowulf.

He wanted to see just how much she could handle.

* * *

Holly whistled low. "Hey, big guy." She chirped before jumping, and throwing a hard kick down on top of the Beowulf's skull. It staggered, and she flipped, slamming the sole of her booted foot into its muzzle. It stumbled again, and growled menacingly. Holly smirked, staring deep into its beady red eyes. The beast lunged for her. Holly jumped, landing on the creatures back. She hopped off as it righted itself, roaring and swinging a clawed paw at her.

She was already out of its range. Holly grinned, and rolled up her sleeve. Along her arm, all the way past her elbow, ran a black, cross-shaped tattoo. She held her arm out in front of her, and the tattoo began to glow a dull purple.

"_Phantasma Tenore." _She whispered. All at once, her scythe appeared in a burst of black smoke. Holly wind-milled it, and tossed into the air. She caught it one-handed.

"Got a nice bone for you, big guy-"Holly hefted her weapon over her shoulder, and beckoned the Beowulf to her. "-Come and Get It!"

The Beowulf growled, clawing the stage. It charged Holly. She remained still. The Beowulf closed in, only three feet from her-

And ran through empty space.

The Beowulf stumbled to a halt, and looked from side to side. A cluster of murmurs came over the crowd.

"Right he-re!" Holly sang. She dropped from high above the Beowulf, bringing her scythe down in a quick dive. She landed with a roll behind the beast, who crumpled in a heap on the stage. Holly spun her scythe, and it slowly shrank into her hand, until it had disappeared. Holly jammed her hand in her pockets, and tapped the Beowulf's body with her boot.

She turned to the crowd, somewhat pleased to see some confusion. She spotted Ms. GoodWitch beside Ruby and Yang. She held out her hand, thumb up.

"Good enough for ya?" She chirped.

* * *

Six hours later, Holly lay on her back in bed, smiling.

"All she had you fight was one Beowulf? Pfft." Dante chuckled to himself. "Talk about cake." Dante slid his gauntlet off, and put it in the trunk at the foot of his bed. Holly giggled.

"Tell me about it. But it was fun. I haven't seen any real combat in a while. Remember those thugs in Atlas? The ones that guy….um, what was his name…Rowan, was it?" Holly tilted her head. Dante shook his head no.

"_Roman_ was his name. And we would've caught him, if you hadn't been so preoccupied fighting his goons, instead of helping me go after him." Dante shrugged his shoulders, and grunted. "So, you get any words of praise for your, magnificent work?" Sarcasm dripped in his voice, and Holly threw her pillow at Dante.

"No, I didn't, thank you. But Ruby did say it was cool, and Yang…..well, she said I had skills, but she could still mop the floor with me." Dante turned his head quickly, an eyebrow raised.

"You believe her?" He asked cautiously. Holly sat up in bed, smiling.

"Nope" She said, popping the P. Dante laughed. "I'm going down to shower, kay? Get yourself some sleep. I know how much your Phantasma drains you." Holly nodded. Dante walked out of the room with a wave. As the door closed, Holly slipped under her covers, and sank into her pillow. She felt sleep overtake her for the first time in days. It felt good. She could even feel herself start dreaming again.

_Wierd. _She thought, as colors seemed to dance wildly across her vision. Then, a brilliant red streak splashed across her sight. For a moment she enjoyed the new color. But realization dawned on Holly.

This was how the dream always started.

No.

No.

Nonononono.

_Stop. Not again._ Holly screamed. But she couldn't hear the words in her ears. It was all in her head. And she had no control.

No, now the nightmare had taken control.

And there it was, that scene that would never disappear from her mind. The moment the hooded men entered their house.

And the bloody knife that would change her life forever.


	3. Night Terrors(Part 1)

**This will be the first encounter with this dream of Holly's for Dark Artist. There will be more instances later on where the dream becomes more detailed. As a treat, the wonderful author Sanguis Anima's OC Myst will be making an appearance here. **

**Hope you guys enjoy~**

**Cheers!**

**Disclaimer:(I Do NOT own the name, studio, programming, characters, or plot for the animated series RWBY. Said items are owned respectively by Monty Oum, Director, and RoosterTeeth.)**

**(Also, as fair warning, this chapter will be graphic in terms of violence. Please prepare yourself or don't read if you can't handle it…..then again, this is rated M, eh? And I'll be introducing some new characters! ^^)**

* * *

_Seemingly out of her control, she dove the knife into his chest, her face contorted in grief and rage. The man she straddled could only utter gurgling gasps of pain as each new wound was made. Holly clenched her teeth, blood spattering on her face as she stabbed, again and again. _

_She felt so afraid, yet so powerful. He had tried to kill her, tried to exercise power over whether or not she would live._

_Now she was doing the same, and he didn't have even a snowball's chance in hell of living. _

_"Holly, St…stop…" a voice choked out, to her left. The young girl stopped, and her shoulders drooped as she took note of her elder sister against the wall. With sudden realization, she looked down at the blank eyes of the dead man beneath her, bewildered. Terror remained glued onto his face. She scrambled backward, dropping the knife, and screamed. _

_Holly crawled to her sister, shaking. "Chels…..I….I didn't-"_

_"Shhh…." Her sister cooed, pressing a finger to Holly's lips. She mouthed an "I know" and closed her eyes. She winced, her hand pressed against the grisly gash in her side. Holly's mouth gaped, and tears shown in her eyes. Her sister smiled sadly. She pulled Holly into a hug, and stroked her hair. _

_"It's almost over, sweetie….You'll get out of this…."She said softly. Blood caked the corners of her mouth, and her voice was raw. _

_"But what about you? I don't wanna leave you, Chels!" The young Faunus shot back, her face showing fear. Her sister cupped her cheek, and, almost too softly said, "I know, sweetie. You're gonna have to go without me though, okay? You-"She gasped, and grunted as blood trickled between her fingers. _

_"You can't let them catch you, sweetie. Go!" _

_But it was too late for that. Holly turned as two men entered the room. One of them leveled a rifle at her, while the other one shouted, staring at the first one's body on the floor. _

_Holly reached over to the first man's body, and picked up the knife again. Her fingers closed tightly around the handle, and she stood. _

_"You….you hurt Chelsea….."She said under her breath. She heard it. That deep, overlying tone that had doubled over her normal voice. _

_No._

_No._

_NO._

_She felt her consciousness, her mind, begin to slip away again…She felt that familiar anger begin to take control. That unbridled rage she'd fought to bury. _

_But they'd hurt her sister, hadn't they? She might not even make it out of the house alive. They deserved it. _

_They deserved all of it…..and MORE. _

_A new, brilliant spatter of red danced across her vision, just as everything in sight began to fade….._

* * *

Holly shot straight up in bed, and screamed. Her hands gripped the sides of her head, and her whole body shook. She blinked. Her head swiveled from side to side. She was still in her room, still in Beacon.

"Chelsea…." She whispered. She looked down at her hands. The image of blood flashed behind her eyes. Holly turned. Dante lay in his bed, asleep. She sighed shakily.

_Thank god he didn't wake up…._ She thought. Holly pulled off her covers, and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Sweat stuck to her skin, and she shivered. Holly pushed off of her bed, and slipped on her boots. She swung her coat around her shoulders, and left. She needed to be alone.

She'd promised herself she'd never worry him about it. She'd never told him what had really happened that night. And she never would. Holly was too afraid that she would crack, and then, she'd spill everything.

She wouldn't crack.

Especially not in front of him.

* * *

Tears stinging at the backs of her eyes, Holly stalked down the hall. Her breath frosted in the chill of the hallway, and she pulled the lapels of her coat closed.

Holly sniffled, and wiped stray tears away from her cheeks. She could feel another wave of tears stinging at the backs of her eyes, but she held them back. The wolf Faunus drew in a deep breath. It had been so long since she'd had that dream, at least a few months. Why now? When she was just settling in?

And why, with Dante around? Holly had been careful to remain tight-lipped about the events of _that _night, but every time that dream came around, it brought her that much closer to telling him. Truthfully, she was afraid. Not of telling him; that would be easy. She feared she'd lose his respect, his trust. All the things she'd earned and built with him over their eight years together.

Quickly, she looked up and down the hallway. What wing was she in?

_Great. Lost._ She thought, slapping her palm against her forehead. Holly planted a firm, loud punch against the wall. She turned, and sat down with a huff. Taking controlled breaths, she wiped away at a few tears that had escaped her eyes. Just when she thought she was getting somewhere…

_Click._

The Faunus turned her head as a door opened beside her. She hadn't even noticed it was there. Dim light filtered into the hall, and a flaxen-haired girl stepped across the threshold, rubbing at her eyes. She smoothed down her nightgown.

"Is... something amiss? What has kept thee awake so late, so as to loiter outside when most are deep in slumber?" The girl's gaze focused on Holly, and she blinked, giving the Faunus a quick once-over. She narrowed her eyes as she took note of Holly's reddened eyes, and the obvious wet streaks trailing down her cheeks.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you." Holly blurted. She stood, spun on her heel, and quickly made to go back to her room. She could already feel her cheeks heating.

At least until the other girl's fingers closed around her wrist.

"Wait." Holly turned. "I can quite clearly see thou art suffering.'Tis clearly written on thy face." The girl offered her hand, a smile spreading on her lips. "If thou shalt permit, I am willing to listen." Holly blinked. A total stranger? Asking her to _talk _about her problems? No way.

"Um….A-Alright…"What? She mentally kicked herself.

_Idiot! What are you doing!? _She thought. But before she knew it, she'd followed the girl, who had introduced herself as Myst, down the hall to the stairs. Myst and Holly sat down, Holly cross-legged, and an awkward silence ensued. The two girls stared ahead, each seeming to feint interest in the moonlight filtering in through the large windows of Beacon's halls. The Faunus girl opened her mouth to speak, but shut it. She wasn't quite sure just how to begin.

Thankfully, Myst broke the silence. She sighed, and smiled brightly.

"Take thy time. Do not rush thyself. Let thy thoughts form naturally; I wouldst advise letting thine feelings lead." Holly's mouth turned up in a slight smirk, and she tried desperately to ignore the growing pit in her stomach. It must have shown, because Myst quickly added,

"Worry not, I can wait. As I said, take thy time." Holly nodded again. She had never been much of a talker.

But she'd already agreed to talk. Holly took a slow, deep breath. Her lips parted.

"It's just….Have you ever done something you weren't proud of? Something so bad…..you just couldn't bring yourself to talk about it?" Holly drew up one knee, and folded her arms. Myst flicked her eyes toward Holly, before averting her gaze forward. The human girl sighed, clasping her hands on her lap.

"Not personally. But one of my team was witness to a massacre. The poor thing." Holly's eyes widened, and she was about to say something when Myst continued.

"-From what little I know, she actually caused a good deal of the bloodshed. But…I do not care. She is a dear friend, and a teammate. I doubt I shalt ever ask her what exactly happened-mainly because I do not wish to know. To be brief, I shalt tell thee this-"Myst stood up with a huff, and stretched her arms. She sighed, and began walking back to her door.

"-Know who thine friends are. If they are indeed so close to thee, they shalt listen, and understand. If they can accept thee, even knowing thou hath a dark past, then they art worthy of seeing thee attain a bright future. Do remember that." Myst opened her door, and entered with a smile and a wave. Holly waved back, and lowered her hand as Myst disappeared from sight and shut the door with a soft _click. _

The Faunus girl sat in her spot for what felt like eternity. She smiled, and strode over to a nearby window. Her breath frosted on the glass in the cold.

"Maybe it's time you knew…."She whispered. Holly closed her eyes, and sighed deeply. She felt her stomach tighten. Could she do it? Could she confess it to him? Would he turn her away? Reject her? Judge her?

Why was she asking herself all these questions?

_You're afraid. _She thought. Holly pursed her lips. As much as she hated to admit it…..she was afraid. There was no telling how Dante would react once he knew.

"Well-"Holly began decisively, "You're just gonna have to get it over with."

* * *

"Explain again why those two idiots're missin' out on seeing us into Vytal?" Kallin deadpanned. Victor rubbed his temples, and sighed. He and Kallin stood outside a Dust shop in downtown Vytal, exhausted. Victor adjusted one of the straps on his left gauntlet. The girl beside him crouched against the wall. Kallin groaned, and threw her arms up.

"UGH. I swear, those two are gonna pay for this! I can't believe they ditched us for school, of all things! And just as w-"Victor slapped his hand across her mouth, ignoring her muffled yells and squeals of protest. The tall, brown haired swordsman brushed his bangs away from his sea green eyes.

"Quite honestly, I have not the slightest idea. Now please, Kallin, hold thy tongue….My god, tis like listening to a child! Holly and Dante art not here, what of it? Likely they have something important holding them back at the academy. Here is an idea-"He said, turning to Kallin. He lifted his other hand, his right one still clamped over her mouth, and pointed down the street.

"We shalt go to Beacon ourselves. Waiting for an escort isn't like thee, at the least. Shalt we not at least give it a try?" He smiled, and Kallin returned it, pushing some of her long black hair behind her ear. Kallin pulled Victor's hand away from her mouth.

"Well…..only since it'd be a waste to wait around for nothin'." Victor nodded, and folded his arms. Kallin stood, and arched her back. She checked to make sure her collapsible spear remained strapped to her thigh, on the outside of her knee-length shorts. She pulled on her leather jacket over her red tank-top, and shrugged to ease the fit.

"So, where to? Do you remember? Or are we gonna need to ask for directions…."Victor glanced upward, thinking. He shrugged on his own leather sleeveless vest, pulling the hood over his head. He checked the sheath of his straight sword.

"Directions, I would suppose." He said decisively. Kallin nodded in agreement. Victor glanced around the marketplace surrounding the shop. He didn't see anyone who looked like-

Kallin was already walking briskly across the square. Wordlessly, but silently steaming, Victor stalked after her.

_Honestly, if the fool girl could keep from running off._ He thought.

Victor stopped suddenly. Kallin had stridden up to a boy wearing a uniform of some sort. She pointed at it with her index finger, and he nodded. Kallin smiled brightly, and dashed back to Victor. The girl jumped at him, gripping him in a tight hug.

"Ooooh, Vic! I know where to go! That boy over, there, Winchester something…..he goes to Beacon! He told me to just head straight down main street, then take an airship up to the school, and then-"Victor, his face clearly impatient, pressed his palm against her face.

"Kallin…."

"Yesh?" She replied brightly, her voice muffled by his hand once again.

"Do quiet down." Victor said slowly. Kallin nodded, beaming. Victor pulled his hand away, and all at once Kallin squealed, and wrapped her arms around one of his. She began pulling him down the street.

"C'mon, we gotta get a move on!" Kallin practically dragged him, and Victor could only roll his eyes and shake his head.

"Very Well." He said in resignation.

* * *

**I hope all of you all enjoyed this installment of Dark Artist! **

**I really wanted to introduce the remaining members of Holly and Dante's team, so I threw them in as a bit of an added bonus to the main point(COUGH*Angst*COUGH) of this chapter. Here's the full team lineup of my OC's:**

Dante Infurneau -D

Holly Alanos -A

Victor Riviera -R

Kallin Zenosa -K

**All four of them make up team DARK. As you'll notice, like Team CRDL, not all of their first names are used for their letter in the team name. The name DARK matches the story name, so I designed the character's names based on that. *Shrug***

**Next update is two weeks from now! Hopefully. C: **

**As always, R&R, and thanks again for reading! Peace!**

**-Hawk**


	4. Night Terrors(Part 2)

**I…..I don't really have anything to say about this chapter. What I will say is that Team DARK will be officially introduced. Aside from that, I'm not saying NUTTIN'. Well, except that I love all of you wonderful readers and fellow writers out there who've given me both (constructive) criticism and praise for my writing. I'm glad you guys enjoy it. And I'm glad you guy can put up with my inconsistent updates. ^^ Now, without further ado~**

**Disclaimer:(I Do NOT own the name, studio, programming, characters, or plot for the animated series RWBY. Said items are owned respectively by Monty Oum, Director, and producer/studio RoosterTeeth.)**

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Dante groaned as the sound of harsh knocking got his attention. He sat up in his bed, and yawned, before swinging himself over the side of the bed. He stretched his back, and pulled at the collar of his white t-shirt.

"Now who could that be?" He wondered aloud, giving another yawn.

Dante swayed toward the door, still half asleep. He twisted the knob, and immediately the door flew open. Kallin dove into his chest, tackling him to the ground.

"Dante! We're He-eeere!" She called, squeezing him.

"I…Can…See that. Now…..Get. OFF." He wheezed. With a giggle, Kallin jumped to her feet, and put her hands behind her back. Dante peeled himself off the floor, and began to scold her, but an innocent smile and bat of the eyelashes killed that instantly. Instead, he sighed, and pulled the girl into a brief hug.

"Good to see you." He said, only slightly sarcastic. With a blink, he fixed a confused look on Kallin.

"Hey, where's Victor?" he asked. The girl beamed, and hooked her thumb at the door.

"He tol' me he had a feeling that Holly might be out, so he went to look for her. Hey, where is my favorite little mutt, anyway?" Kallin zipped from Dante to the messy, unoccupied bed opposite his own. He blinked again, and uttered a groan.

"Walking right out of the room…." He rubbed his temples. Kallin took his hand. He looked up at her, somewhat surprised to see concern on the normally un-serious girl's face.

"She still won't talk to you about it?" She murmured. Dante was still a moment, before turning away and nodding. He walked over to his closet, and removed a hammock and a folded cot. He presented the hammock to Kallin, who squealed in delight. Dante chuckled.

"Let's not worry about that, Kallin. For now, let's just get you set up."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Holly sat atop the roof, one leg drawn up under her chin; the other dangling over the side, swinging slightly. She sat staring at her tattoo. Her head turned as she heard Victor's boots thudding against the shingles. Holly hurriedly pulled her sleeve back down, shielding her arm. She remained silent as Victor slung an arm around her shoulder. He gave a light squeeze.

"A pleasure to see thee, Holly." He said softly. Holly returned the hug, lowering both legs over the side of the roof. Victor smiled. Holly drew back.

"Good to see you too, Vic…" She said, if anything, in a whisper. The two remained silent, both staring straight into the sky. Victor poked Holly's cheek. The girl turned, and he pointed toward a patch of stars above them. There was no sight of the moon in the night sky.

"New moon?" He guessed. Holly nodded.

"I don't really come up here for the view though…..just the quiet. Something Kallin definitely won't be once we get back to the room." Holly finished her sentence standing and stretching. She'd sat in the same spot for almost an hour.

"Let's head back down. I wanna try and get a little sleep, if I can." Holly jammed her hands in her coat pockets, and started inside. Victor followed behind her.

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As they walked, Holly couldn't help but feel uneasy. She turned to Victor, and walked backward.

"What is it?" She asked. He looked down, almost guiltily.

"Well…"he began. Victor sighed, and pressed a hand to his forehead. "Doth the night terrors that plagued thee back in Atlas…..Still…?"

Holly stopped. "…..Yes." She answered testily. Victor swallowed loudly. The two walked in relative silence, until a loud thud startled them both. Holly looked to Victor.

"You…..you left Kallin alone with Dante?" she asked. Victor nodded slowly, straightening as realization dawned on him. Holly broke into a run, Victor not far behind. Within a minute, they'd found the dorm room.

Holly shouldered through the door-

…..Only to gape at the mess in the room. Clothes and papers lay in large piles, and Holly's arms fell slack at their sides, as her face soured. Dante lay under a pile of clothes, one hand exposed.

"She…..she got herself settled in….."He said, voice muffled. Holly's shoulders began to shake, and she sputtered.

"G…..F…..B-Bwahahahaha! Ahahahahahahaha!" The faunus girl doubled over, laughing. Kallin, emerging from underneath a pile of her clothes, joined in. She threw an arm around Holly's shoulders.

"Good to see you, Hols!" she chirped. Holly fell to her knees, still laughing uncontrollably. Victor crossed his arms over his chest, rolled his eyes, and groaned. He flicked his head toward Dante.

"Our stay here at Beacon shalt be a living hell, no?" He asked wryly. Dante shrugged his shoulders, arms out.

"Guess so."

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_Almost a full day later…._

Holly stared straight ahead. To her right, Dante, her left, Kallin and Victor. All four of them remained silent. Professor Ozpin stood ramrod straight in front of them, one hand holding his cane. His eyes locked on Holly's, and she stared right back; unwavering. Ozpin smirked, then turned to the crowd of students standing beside the stage. His gaze raked over the crowd, then back to the four in front of him.

"I present to you, Team DARK: Dante Infurneau, Holly Alanos, Victor Riviera, and Kallin Zenosa. And their leader-"Ozpin paused. Holly's shoulders tensed. She turned to look at Dante, who was staring at the spot between his feet with seemingly great interest. She rolled her eyes.

"-Dante Infurneau." Dante's head shot up, and he looked to his team. His mouth hung wide open. Holly beamed, punching his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Dante." She mumbled. Kallin giggled, and Victor gave Dante a thumbs-up. Dante remained silent. He looked straight ahead, and slowly, a smile spread on his face.

Professor Ozpin continued," I wish you peace in your time here at Beacon. Good luck."

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So much for peace.

Holly sat down in Ozpin's office, a scowl evident on her face. Her headmaster hardly even noticed it.

"You'll be working with team RWBY as a test. I'm sending your other teammates on similar assignments with other groups. You leave for your assignment in half an hour, Miss Alanos. And please-Don't make a fuss. This is mandatory for you, since you and your teammates transferred here mid-year. Now go."

With a huff, Holly lifted herself off of the chair, and stormed to the door. She made certain to give it a good slam before she stalked down the hall.

_Who the hell does he think he is? Why do I even _need _a test assignment? Wasn't the damn Beowulf enough?_

She was so distracted, she accidentally bumped into Weiss, who responded with a scowl and a gasp.

"Watch where you're going, you dolt!" The heiress snapped. She wiped non-existent dirt from her jacket, a look of disgust on her face. Holly narrowed her eyes.

"Why don't you watch where _you're _going? If anything, you should've seen me getting too close and moved."

Weiss scoffed, hands balled into fists at her waist. "Why you-"

"Hey, hey!" Ruby stepped between them, one hand on either girls arm. " C'mon guys! You're gonna be working together later, don't fight!" The smaller girl looked from Holly to Weiss. Holly shrugged Ruby's hand away.

"…..Fine. But don't expect any help from me, princess."

Weiss growled. "That's heiress to you."

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Holly sat uncomfortably in her seat. A buckle was fastened around her midsection, keeping her against the chair. Beside her, Yang was loading a belt of shells into her Ember Celica, Weiss snapping a canister of dust into her rapier, Myrtenaster. She blew out a testy breath. It had taken almost an hour for them to reach their assignment area. Considering how fast airships moved, Holly knew they were _far. _

For what had to be the thirtieth time, turbulence rocked the airship, causing Holly to clench her teeth. Across from her, Ruby had one eye pinched shut, discomfort clear on her face. Blake was the only one who seemed unbothered by the violent shaking of the ship. She sat beside Ruby, arms folded. She slightly swayed her head side to side to an imaginary rhythm.

Holly gagged. "God, Blake, how can you stand being in this thing?"

Blake shrugged. "Strong stomach?" she suggested. Holly moaned.

"I just wanna get off this thing already!" She clutched her stomach. "I swear to god, I'm gonna hurl the minute we touch down."

"Then better grab a paper bag." Yang nodded toward the small monitor screen above the door to the cockpit. It read '5 minutes to landing'. Holly released a sigh of relief. No sooner had it ended that the small airship jostled again, forcing Holly to cup her hands over her mouth as a gurgling noise rose in her throat. Her face paled.

"I really freaking hate this….."

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As the off-load ramp of the airship lowered, Holly bolted down it and to the bushes. The ship had made its landing in a clearing, close to the treeline. Holly slid to her knees, and upchucked into the brush. Team RWBY themselves walked down the ramp slowly, Ruby taking quick strides over to Holly. She put a hand on the Faunus girls back.

"Jeez. You're just like Jaune…." She mumbled. Weiss, arms folded, merely shook her head, Yang and Blake off to the side. Holly took short, gasping breaths. She shot Ruby an apologetic look.

"S…Oh, god….Sorry." She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, shoulders hunched. Ruby shook her head, giving Holly's back a pat.

"Don't worry about it. But we do have to finish this assignment on time. Think we can get moving?" She asked, mouth turning up in a smile. Holly grinned.

"Yeah…..Airsickness won't kill me. Let's go." She said. While still slightly pale, the Faunus definitely felt better. Her stomach had settled some. As they began walking, Ruby and Weiss took up the lead, Yang and Blake in middle of the group. Holly herself opted for the rear. She wasn't sure why, but she felt….nervous. As if something would attack them at any moment. Even in her head, the thought seemed ridiculous, but…..better to not take chances.

After 20 straight minutes of walking, the group reached the mouth of a large cave. Holly felt tension build in her gut.

Something occurred to her in that moment. The forest had grown unnaturally quiet. Before, there had been soft singing from birds, the occasional rustle of a deer in the brush. But now, there was nothing except the wind.

"Anybody else think it's a little too quiet?" she spoke up. Weiss scoffed.

"No offense, but I think you might be just a touch too paranoid. We haven't encountered anything in this forest so far, and besides, our mission is the Ursa in this cave. Let's. Go."

Spinning on her heel, Weiss entered the cave. Behind her, Yang gave Holly an apologetic look, and a shrug. Ruby jogged to catch up with Weiss, leaving Blake and Holly at the cave entrance, the two looked at each other for a moment before sighing in unison.

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The group reached a large, empty chamber. A hole in the roof let in sunlight, bathing the room is a yellowish glow. Holly stood in the center, silently fuming.

"A dead end." She deadpanned. "Who woulda' thunk it…."

Ruby crossed her arms, one brow raised. "Well, there's supposed to be a couple Ursa that live here….right?"

"Oh, those were yours, were they?"

All five girls whirled at the voice. A man stood off in the corner, leaning against a tall spine of rock rising from the cave floor. He wore a simple brown leather vest with a white shirt underneath, cowboy-style boots, and a matching fedora. He hefted a large axe up and over his shoulder. In his other hand, he held a black crossbow. The man chuckled, shaking his head, and stepped forward. Holly grimaced as he stepped forward and stared with swirling red eyes.

"Sorry, girls, but they're already dead. And all of you-" he said, leveling the crossbow at Holly,

"-Are next."

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**The stranger in the cave has threatened to kill Team RWBY, and their temporary extra, Holly! Why is this man here? Will our heroines be enough to defeat him? Why does Holly seem to attract danger like a magnet? **

**All these answered in the next episode of Dragon Ball-**

**Oh, wait…**

**(R&R, guys!)**


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